Card edge connectors are widely used in personal computers and other electronic equipment for the connection of SIMMs (single in-line memory modules) and other similar electronic components to a mother board. In order to prevent such electronic elements from being disconnected from the base board during operation, these card edge connectors are usually equipped with latching devices. FIG. 8 represents an example of such a latching device (Japanese Patent (1991)-108286). This latching device 100, made in a roughly U-shaped configuration, has two arms: 102 and 104, with the arm 104 being equipped with a latching unit 106 and a latching release unit 108. The axis of this latching device 100 is perpendicular to the mother board (not shown in the drawing) and it is arranged inside the connector housing (not shown in the drawing). The release of the latching between the board with the auxiliary board (not shown in the drawing) and the latching unit 106 is carried out either by directly operating the latch 106 or by pressing the inclined surface of the latch release unit 108 downward either by a tool or by a finger.
The latching device described above is effective when it is used with a card edge connector retaining the auxiliary board in a position approximately perpendicular to the mother board. However, if the auxiliary board is used in connectors which are practically parallel to the mother board for the purposes of compactness, the following problems arise. Since the direction of latch release is approximately parallel to the mother board (or to the auxiliary board), the latching release operation becomes very difficult, especially if the card edge connector is made in a low-profile configuration. In addition, it looks like it is easy to release the latch by pressing the inclined surface of the latching unit 106, but if the pressure is applied directly to the latching unit 106, the latching between the auxiliary board and the latching unit 106 becomes even stronger, and in fact the release can not be easily achieved.
Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to offer a latching device and a card edge connector in which such a latching device is used providing for an easy release of the latching connection.